INTRODUCTION. 



the world as a fishing post, when centuries shall have restocked 

 its waters. » 



As Labrador looks upon the charts, one would easily imagine 

 that it was a vast expanse of lowland, and one almost plain penin- 

 sula extending into the sea as a continuation and part of the Brit- 

 ish Provinces, and auxiliary, perhaps, to the territory of the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company. In point of fact this latter case is partly true 

 and partly false. It is indeed a part of the British possessions, and 

 it is also a part of the Hudson's Bay Company's territory ; at least 

 there are several trading posts of that Company placed occasion- 

 ally along its shores, and the Company own considerable land lo- 

 cated about and around each such post ; yet it farms but a small 

 part of that Company's productive ground, which is much farther 

 north, and extends a considerable way into the interior of the 

 country, thus approaching the great bay which bears the name of 

 that hardy, early pioneer and explorer who discovered it, as also 

 the river of that same name which here takes its rise. At one time 

 Labrador was a small part of these the best fur regions of the 

 world. Then many trading posts were established, of which the 

 most important, perhaps, at least of that portion of the coast of 

 which I shall speak more at length presently, was at St. Augustine, 

 near the St. Augustine river, and only a few miles — so to speak — 

 from the principal settlements in this section about Esquimaux 

 river, and Bonne Esperance the seat of local government. It was 

 only at a late day that this post was abandoned as a trading station, 

 and, unless recently resupplied it is no more a permanent authorized 

 station of the Company. Though the post here has been formed but 

 a few years, new ones are being so constantly made — or rather aban- 

 doned ones resupplied — and old ones broken up, that it is impos- 

 sible to keep an exact and satisfactory account of them all. 



The portions of Labrador which I visited are contained within 

 the easternmost extremity of the Province of Quebec, and the 

 westernmost part of Labrador proper, comprising an included 

 distance of about five hundred miles, in which extent of coastline 

 I have visited nearly every harbor of importance. In describing 



